Compare the2023 Volvo S90VS 2022 Toyota Prius Prime

Safety
Warranty
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Volvo S90 have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Toyota Prius Prime doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The S90’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the S90 and Prius Prime have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The S90 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Prius Prime’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The Volvo S90 offers optional built in child booster seats. They’re more crash worthy than an added child seat because of their direct attachment to the seat. Toyota doesn’t offer the convenience and security of a built-in child booster seat in the Prius Prime. Their owners must carry a heavy booster seat in and out of the vehicle; S90 owners can just fold their built-in child seat up or down.

The S90 has standard Post-impact braking, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

The S90 has all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

The S90 has a standard 360° Camera to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Prius Prime only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

The S90 has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. Only the Prius Prime Limited offers a blind spot warning system.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the S90 has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Only the Prius Prime Limited has a rear cross-path warning system.

Compared to metal, the S90’s plastic fuel tank can withstand harder, more intrusive impacts without leaking; this decreases the possibility of fire. The Toyota Prius Prime has a metal gas tank.

Both the S90 and the Prius Prime have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras and driver alert monitors.

The Volvo S90 weighs 921 to 1308 pounds more than the Toyota Prius Prime. The NHTSA advises that heavier cars are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the S90 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 95 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Prius Prime last would have qualified as only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2019.

Warranty

The S90 comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Prius Prime’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The S90’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Prius Prime’s (12 vs. 5 years).

Volvo pays for scheduled maintenance on the S90 for 1 year and 11000 miles longer than Toyota pays for maintenance for the Prius Prime (3/36,000 vs. 2/25000).

Engine

The S90 B6’s standard 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder hybrid produces 174 more horsepower (295 vs. 121) and 204 lbs.-ft. more torque (310 vs. 106) than the Prius Prime’s 1.8 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid. The S90 T8’s standard 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder hybrid produces 334 more horsepower (455 vs. 121) and 417 lbs.-ft. more torque (523 vs. 106) than the Prius Prime’s 1.8 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Car and Driver the S90 B6 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder is faster than the Toyota Prius Prime:

	S90	Prius Prime
Zero to 60 MPH	5.6 sec	10.2 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	13.9 sec	30.7 sec
Quarter Mile	14.1 sec	17.7 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	101 MPH	79 MPH
Top Speed	133 MPH	115 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

The S90 T8 can travel with zero emissions on electricity, only, on a full charge for 38 miles. The Prius Prime has to start its internal combustion engine after only 25 miles.

The S90 has 4.5 gallons more fuel capacity than the Prius Prime (15.9 vs. 11.4 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The S90 has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the S90’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Prius Prime:

	S90	Prius Prime
Front Rotors	13.6 inches	10 inches
Rear Rotors	12.6 inches	10.2 inches

The S90’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Prius Prime are solid, not vented.

The S90 stops much shorter than the Prius Prime:

	S90	Prius Prime
70 to 0 MPH	161 feet	184 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	107 feet	125 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	142 feet	147 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the S90 has larger tires than the Prius Prime (255/35R20 vs. 195/65R15).

The S90’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Prius Prime’s standard 65 series tires. The S90’s optional tires have a lower 35 series profile than the Prius Prime’s 65 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the S90 has standard 19-inch wheels. Only 15-inch wheels are available on the Prius Prime. The S90 offers optional 20-inch wheels.

The S90 B6 has a standard space-saver spare (not available on Recharge) so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the Prius Prime; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

Suspension and Handling

The S90 has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Prius Prime’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The S90 offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads. The Prius Prime’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the S90’s wheelbase is 14.2 inches longer than on the Prius Prime (120.5 inches vs. 106.3 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the S90 is 3.5 inches wider in the front and 3.1 inches wider in the rear than on the Prius Prime.

The S90 handles at .90 G’s, while the Prius Prime Limited pulls only .76 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The S90 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.2 seconds quicker than the Prius Prime XLE (26.3 seconds @ .68 average G’s vs. 28.5 seconds @ .56 average G’s).

Passenger Space

The S90 has 10.5 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Prius Prime (102 vs. 91.5).

The S90 has 2.7 inches more front hip room, 3.3 inches more front shoulder room, .6 inches more rear headroom, 7 inches more rear legroom, 3.3 inches more rear hip room and 2.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Prius Prime.

Cargo Capacity

Pressing a button automatically lowers the S90’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

With its sedan body style, locking rear seatbacks and remote trunk release lockout, the S90 offers cargo security. The Prius Prime’s hatchback body style, non-lockable folding seat and non-lockable remote release defeat cargo security.

A standard locking glovebox keeps your small valuables safer in the S90. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the S90’s power trunk can be opened or closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening trunk.

Servicing Ease

The S90 uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Prius Prime uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the S90, the memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver and front passenger’s seat positions and outside mirror angle. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer a memory system.

The S90’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Prius Prime’s parking brake has to be released manually.

The power windows standard on both the S90 and the Prius Prime have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the S90 is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Prius Prime prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The S90’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Prius Prime LE/XLE’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the S90 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The S90 has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The S90 has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. The Prius Prime has an automatic headlight on/off feature standard only on the XLE/Limited.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the S90 has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer cornering lights. The S90 also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

A power rear sunshade and rear side window sunshades are standard in the S90 to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer a rear or rear side window sunshades.

When the S90 is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Prius Prime’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The S90’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Prius Prime offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Both the S90 and the Prius Prime have standard heated front seats. The S90 also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Prius Prime.

The S90 Ultimate has standard front air conditioned seats and offers them optionally in the rear. This keeps the passengers comfortable and takes the sting out of hot seats in summer. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The S90 has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the car heater warms up. A heated steering wheel is only available on the Prius Prime Limited.

The S90 Ultimate offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Prius Prime.

The S90’s standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

Both the S90 and the Prius Prime offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the S90 has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

The S90 has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Recommendations

The S90 was chosen as one of Automobile Magazine’s “All Stars” in 2017. The Prius Prime has never been an “All Star.”

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